The Almoravids and Almohads

in Granada

Routes of The legacy of al-Andalus

Major Cultural Route of the Council of Europe

32

his is a long and beautiful trip, which enables one to journey through thecommon history of two neighbouring continents; Africa and Europe and, moreprecisely, through two countries, Morocco and Spain, which for several centuriesshared the same destiny, culture, triumphs and vicissitudes.

“All countries, in their diversity, are one and all men are neighbours andbrothers”. Az-Zubaidi, 10th Century.

The Almoravids, or Al-morabitun, were a dynasty which arose in the 11thCentury out of the depths of the Maghreb desert and which arrived in thePeninsula at the desperate call of the poet-king of Seville, al-Mutamid, who wasoverwhelmed by the increasing Christian pressure which was taking grip in al-Andalus. The Almoravids, led by the “blue” warrior Yusuf ibn Tashfin (theAlmoravids, belonged to the Lamtuna tribe, who were accustomed to protecttheir head and face with an indigo blue 'litam'), didn't have to think twice andobligingly arrived. Their luck ran out in the middle of the 12th c., when anothergroup of Berbers, the Almohads, took over the reins of power themselves,professing arguments of spiritual cleansing, which didn't gain much response.

Along this Route, the traveller will savour the weight of History, a historyladen with brilliant characters, from the Neanderthal “Man of Zafarraya”, passingalong Phoenicians, Romans and Moors down to our present day. A history andtradition which all of these have left in our people, reflecting their great capacityfor hospitality and demonstrating their influences, especially the deep Andalusitradition, full of charm and local colour.

Everything here reflects Arab origins, itsnames and its personalities: “Fahs-al-raiyya”, “al-Malaha”, “HisnCaviar”, Ibn Batuta,Mohammed II,monuments,gastronomy, agriculture,craftsmanship, even its innsand roadways.

The Zafarraya corridor was usedfor incursions by the first Muslims in al-Andalus, in the middle of the 8th century.This pass was conserved and re-usedcontinually as a means of communication with and recuperation of differentenclaves and numerous remains of towers are still to be seen. Beyond the narrowpass, an immense valley can be seen together with the Sierra Gorda and Sierrade Alhama. In 1883, human remains dating back some 30,000 years, were foundin a cave in this narrow opening. Phoenician influences and Palaeo-christianremains can be found in this spectacular landscape, thanks to the saltworks (acomplex system of irrigation and salt mining), the baths and the irrigation. These

elements provide a wide range of products which are produced simply but withgreat care and can be savoured in the large inns, or in the shade of the numerouspoplar groves, which actually have nothing to do with the natural forests thatexisted on the riverbanks of yesteryear.

Thanks to its proximity to Granada, this area is an ideal place to get to knowthe local townships and enjoy the numerous fiestas celebrated throughout theyear, or to pass the summer months, to enjoy the freshness and fertility of itscultivated fields and above all the pleasantness of the cool climate in summer,the proximity of the beach and the affable behaviour of the local populace.

The following description has changed little with the passage of time:

A crown of hamlets, farms and 'carmenes' (villas) encircled Granada. Thehamlets were small peasant nuclei. In the Vega, there were more than threehundred, fifty of which had their own mosque. The farms were large countryhouses. Less definable the 'carmenes' (from qarm, vineyard), which werehomesteads, either within or without the city, with patios and gardens, where theinhabitants of Granada withdrew to spend the 'alacer' or autumnal festival, at thetime of the grape harvest, and to enjoy parties or celebrate Moorish festivals, orfiestas related to preparing and fertilizing the land.

By taking long walks through Granada, thetraveller can contemplate and almost live the

legacy of a people who occupied this city andkingdom for more than eight centuries. The

first will show us the Albaicin (from SanCristóbal to the Alcázar Genil), moving through

squares, churches, lookout points, palaces andincomparable monuments and terminating at the

Corral del Carbón. A trip to the Sierra Nevada revealing theblack slate hills to the south from the Veleta, or frozen lakes at the foot of

the Mulhacén like the Caldera, will be the interim walk. The second and last, fromthe Puerta Elvira to the Alhambra, offers us the grandeur of al-Andalus, in theNasrid royal residence, the Alcazaba (fortress), the Comares Palace and on tothe Generalife.

The Alhambra was defined in a manifesto, by a group of 24 Spanisharchitects, in 1952:

“The relationship between this 14th c. building and the most advancedarchitecture of to-day, in some ways, is astonishing; they coincide in theiracceptance of the human model, in the asymmetric way of arranging the floors,in the purity and sincerity of the resultant spaces, in the form of incorporatingthe landscape and the garden into the building, in the economic and strict use ofmaterials, without plastic adiposities, and in so many other ways that it wouldtake a long time to list.”

T

“The gates of Zafarraya arejust cuts, or narrow passes,at the top of the pass, orbranch of the Sierra de Teje-da. One enters here in orderto cross a large area of oaks,holm oaks and abundant pas-tures. The land is extremelyhigh in relation to the citiesof Vélez and Alhama…”

Antonio Ponz

The narrow opening of Zafarraya, knownas the Boquete de Zafarraya, is the passwhich defines the transition from theAxarquía to the lands of Alhama; it is thefissure which cuts and separates therocky walls of the sierras of Alhama andTejeda. The Plains of Zafarraya appearbeyond the Boquete and Ventas de Za-farraya, where the town bearing thisname is to be found on a fertile and

beautiful plateau. They form a geologi-cal corridor extending some ten kilome-tres, corresponding to a polje or Carsticdepression. Man has settled this areafrom ancient times. The remains knownas the “Man of Zafarraya” (dating back30,000 years) attest to this. Their discov-ery was invaluable evidence of the hu-man link to Neanderthal. The Argar cul-ture arrived in this area some two thou-sand years before Christ, establishingsettlements in easily defendible sites.There is an Argaric site to the south ofthe Plain. Phoenicians and Romans alsoestablished their encampments here, asdemonstrated in objects and remainsfound along the ancient roadways.Nevertheless, it was with the arrival of theMuslims that this area became known forits wealth in livestock. Thus its namestems from the Arabic, Fahs al-raiyya or“field of shpeherds”, although there arethose who think it stems from Saiarraya, which

5

Zafarraya

☛TheZafarrayaPass

means limit of territory. Towards the mid-dle of the 8th c., the Zafarraya corridorwitnessed the passing of the Ummayadprince, Abd al-Rahman, on his way to beproclaimed Emir of al-Andalus. This samepass was used on many occasions by theMuslims, such as for the reconquest ofVélez or during the Christian conquest ofAlhama and Loja. The ruins of numerouscommunication towers remain, which con-nected the coast with the interior of thepeninsula. The area made up part of theNasrid royal road, along which so manyArab travellers passed, among them beingIbn Batuta in the year 1349. Following theChristian conquest, the plateau becamedependent on Vélez-Málaga, which initiat-ed a centuries' long dispute between thelatter and Alhama. This was interrupted bythe 1884 earthquake, which damaged80% of the buildings and made intensivereconstruction imperative. In 1913, Zafar-raya became an independent town andshortly afterwards, a municipality.This town is a tidy urban unit, with longand straight roads, which reflect its re-construction following the violent earth-

quake. The parish church, the NuestroSeñor de las Tres Marías hermitage andthe Pilar Viejo (old fountain) are thelandmarks which punctuate its streets,while the arches of the ruined old churchremain as evidence of its history.Zafarraya is a ideal place to pass thesummer months, given its cool climate,its proximity to the beach (20 km. toTorre del Mar) and the freshness and fer-tility of its cultivated fields.From el Llano (theplateau) one canreach Loja, Salar orAlhama, on moun-tainous roads, pass-ing through pictur-esque spots like LasParideras, El Carrascal,El Refugio or Fuente delEspino. It is also possible toreach the coast along pathways throughthe pinewood on the Sierra Umbría.Going up the Bernagal road, one canexperience the spectacular panoramicview right over the Llano with the Passin the distance.

6

☛The BullringThe Parish Church

Ruins of the old churchThe Pass

☛

Before our eyes the plateauappears, cleft by the narrowpass of the River Cacín whichprecedes La Malahá and thevillages of the Vega. A whitepopular hamlet, whose namemeans the saltflat, due to theone just by the village, fed bythe Salado stream.

The River Cacín, whose course flowsthrough impressive rocky passes, marksthe limit of the Temple region, a transitzone and an area of small villages setbetween dry land and olive groves,which forms the southern edge of theVega and is closely connected to Grana-da. Various places dot the road and no

tably La Malahá; a small white villagesituated on a shelf at the base of theDigudía hill. This area received a signifi-cant number of Arab settlers, shortlyafter the arrival of the Muslims in thePeninsula. Its old name, Quemple,comes from the Arab Qaysi tribe, whoarrived with the Syrian troups underGeneral Baly in 740. A district depend-ent on the Granada province of Ilbirawas formed here and about ten hamletswere parcelled out, one of the most im-portant of which was La Malahá.There are interesting prehistoric sitesround here and evidence that thisplace was inhabited at the time of theRoman Empire, a period when its salt-flats were already being exploited. TheGreeks named it Malka and the Ro-mans Misarza, mild valley or relief of

pains and established a spa

La Malahá

9

☛The ParishChurch of thePurísima Concepción

here. Later, the Goths named it Mizarzain allusion to the benefits of its thermalwaters. A very well preserved cisternfrom Roman times still exists, apartfrom baths and a necropolis. Neverthe-less, its name stems fromthe Arabic, Al-malaha, the saltflats, and they createda complex irrigation system and ex-ploited the salt. At the time the townwas very important, growing to 3,000inhabitants, who also cultivated silk. LaMalahá developed its quiet exis-tence of saltmining, agricul-ture and forestry until thecommencement of the up-heavals prior to the con-quest of Granada. TheCatholic Monarchs cededthe exploitation of thesaltmines to El Zagal, whenthe latter surrendered thecities of Guadix and Almería in1489. A considerable populationof Moors and Moriscos must have re-mained, who, on account of the upris-ings, diminished and was substitutedby Christian settlers from other re-

gions. It experienced an extraordinaryprosperity during the 19th c., thanks toits spa, whose fame spread throughoutEurope.La Malahá's simple town centre spreadsout, in the midst of a gently undulatingterrain, with fields of cereals, olivegroves and irrigation ditches. It isbased on ordered blocks, which con-verge on the older andmore compact sectorof the town, wherethe Parish Churchof the PurísimaConcepción stands;a building consist-ing of a singlenave, covered byan excellent 16th c.Mudejar ceiling. Its streets exude thequiet atmosphere of a country town

and nearby are to be found theponds and labrynths of the

old saltmines, which aresome of the most re-markable in the interiorof Andalusia. To theNorth and very close by,is the attractive area of

the Baths, the source ofcurative arsenical sodium

chloride waters, which flowvery slowly into a circular

stone pool, a vestige from the Ro-mans and the Moors, with an extensiveview before one that stretches into theVega of Granada.

11

The Baths☛

The SaltflatsA Tower of the saltflats

The Parish Church of the Purísima Concepción

☛

La Gabias is 8 kilometresfrom Granada, in the Vegaand situated opposite thesplendid Sierra Nevada moun-tain chain. It is a residentialarea for many Granadans, insearch of a short break, or anexceptional view.

Situated to the southeast of the city, be-tween the fertile region of the Vega andthe Secano, Las Gabias is the anteroomto the Temple region. The River Dílarruns through the township in a north-south direction, creating important irri-gated zones and the Arroyo del Saladostream, in the westerly part, allows forthe growth of olive groves. The country-side around Las Gabias, offering bothnatural and cultural alternatives, ismuch appreciated. The dry hills contrastwith the plains of the valley and themountainous spurs with the depressionof Granada.

Its history dates back thousands ofyears, as is confirmed by thearchaeological remains found on theCuesta de los Chinos, a promontory inthe zone between the Vega and thedrylands. Under Roman domination thepopulation moved to an area nearby,where an important settlement hasrevealed the ruins of an oil mill andseveral houses. However, the mostinteresting thing about this is the 3rd c.Roman Baptistry, which was declared aNational Monument in 1931 and is theonly one preserved in Spain. It consistsof a corridor with a subterraneanchamber covered by a cupola whichappears on the surface.In the times of al-Andalus, it had asmany as 1,500 inhabitants and a largefortress was built in the centre of thetown. Centuries later, during the Moriscorebellion, Hurtado de Mendoza drew up acensus and claimed that there were 1,418people spread between Las Gabias and

other places in the

Las Gabias

13

☛The Parish Chuchof the Encarnación

Vega. It would seem that its name stems from Hisn Caviar, which meansmilitary tower. There are two versionsconcerning the construction of thistower; one that it belongs to the periodof the Caliphate and the other, that it isone of the five lookout towers built byMuhammad III. What is certainly clear isthat it played an important role duringthe period that the Christian troopswere laying on the pressure prior to theConquest, when it served both to keepwatch over the Vega and to house thetroops. In 1490 it was taken by theChristians under the command of the Gran Capitán. The same year, King

Ferdinand the Catholicordered its destructionbut that never came to pass.The modern history ofLas Gabias begins withthe Christian conquest

and the repopulation un-dertaken by Phillip II, when

settlers arrived from different parts ofthe peninsula. It belonged to the Countsof Gabia until the 19th c. and in the 20thc. it became one of the most prosperousand important villages in the province,due to expansion in the tile industryand the cultivation of flax, hemp andbeetroot. The official establishment ofthe municipality of Las Gabias occurredin 1973, with the fusion of the old townsof Gabia Grande and Gabia Chica.The Torreón, a fortress with buildingsand walls around, is of great interest

owing to its structure and its interiordecoration (horseshoe arches, ovoloarchivolts, plaster columns with capitalsetc, etc), It was part of a fortificationused as a refuge by the hamlets in caseof danger, or military attacks. The wholevalley can be seen from the terrace,which is what gives this tower itsstrategic importance in the defense ofthe area. It was declared a NationalMonument in 1922.The Church of Gabia Chica in the towncentre is important, built of a singlenave with a “V” roof, coffered in woodand with a belfry attached to theSanctuary. There is a magnificent 16th c.altarpiece inside and a statue of thepatroness, the Virgen del Rosario. Thepulpit is of carved wood.Since 1990 the parish church has beenthe Church of the Encarnación,conceived as a Neo-gothic temple, itsmost characteristic feature is the tower.The interior houses sculptures,paintings and alterpieces from the 16thand 17th centuries. The Cristo de laExpiración and the San Juan stand outand are attributed to the School of Pablode Rojas. The hermitage of NuestraSeñora de las Nieves dates from the16th or early 17th c.: Baroque in itscupolas and vault, Renaissance in itsfrieze and walls and Rococo in thealcove of the Virgin.Las Gabias boasts two of thevery few 18 holes golfcourses in theprovince of Granada,and perhaps themost beautiful ofthem due to theunbeatable coun-tryside that can beappreciated whileplaying, with theSierra Nevada as abackdrop. The excellentsetting of this town and itssystem of communications means thatone can combine sport with tourismand play golf, or enjoy winter or aquaticsports, all within an hour's drive.

14

☛The Church of the RosarioEntrance to the Roman Baptistry

☛

17

Discovering Granada is all anadventure, perhaps due to themysterious Moorish legacythat envelops it, perhaps dueto the narrowness of itsstreets or for the treasureswhich it conceals. To contem-plate Granada has always beenconsidered a privilege, as thepopular saying shows: “Givehim alms woman, for there isno greater sorrow than to beblind in Granada”.

The finishing touch to this journey is thecity which was the last stronghold ofSpanish-Muslim civilization. It is the sym-bol of its refinement and thememory of the pro-found influence itleft behind. Itis a rich and

varied itinerary which has introduced usto the nature, the art, the history, thecountryside and the villages of Andalusia.Granada has a unique charm and an un-forgettable setting, at the end of the Ge-nil valley and at the foot of the SierraNevada. Given its situation, it attractedsettlers from very early on. The first hu-man settlement was the nucleus ofIliberis, an Iberian hamlet on the Albaicinhill. Around 27 BC this became a Romantown and, in the 4th c. it was the seat ofthe first Spanish Council. In 714, it wastaken by the Muslims under Tariq. Con-verted into the capital of one of theprovinces, in the mid 8th c., the centre ofthe population moved to the neighbour-ing Elvira, in the plain, which went intodecline in the 10th c., owing to internalconflicts. Now called Garanta, it picked

up again in the 11th c. under

Granada

The Albaicín☛

Zirid rule, a dynasty which headed one ofthe most powerful of the Taifa kingdoms.In 1090, the king of Granada, Abd Allahwas deposed, shortly after the Al-moravids established the headquar-ters of their peninsular domains inGranada. Things remained so until1156, when it passed into thehands of their rivals, the Almo-hads. Both North African dynastieshad a special relationship with thiscity, to the extent that it was oftengoverned by people of royal blood.In the 13th c. the Christian advancecaused changes in Granada, which wasdestined to become the last focus of Span-ish Islam. From the moment Ibn al-Ahmarmade it his capital in 1238, the Court of theNasrid dynasty was one of the most popu-lated and active cities in the West.This city invites one to undertake manydifferent walks, where one can discoverits extraordinary heritage and its jewel,the Alhambra, a symbol of art and history,

where East meets West. The Alhambra, apalatine city, whose name means “thered”, dominates Granada. It was con-structed by the Zirid kings between the13th and 15th centuries and consists of along fortified complex, interspersed withbastions, palaces, gardens and an amplecourtly citadel. The main entrance, theGate of Justice, stands by the side ofCharles V's Renaissance fountain, andwas constructed by Yusuf I in 1348, whowas one of the sultans who contributedmost to the construction of this complex.

On passing through here, one ar-rives at the Wine Gate and

the Plaza de los Aljibes(cisterns), starting point ofthe visit to the complex.The Alcazaba (citadel)stands out at the highestpoint of the hill and is the

oldest section. The maintower of this bastion is the

Torre de la Vela. The Palace ofCharles V stands on one side of the Plazade los Aljibes, a Renaissance building de-signed by Pedro Machuca in 1527, the inte-rior of which houses both the AlhambraMueums and the Fine Arts Museum.The heart of the Alhambra is made up ofalcazares and royal palaces, a labrynth ofhalls, patios and gardens, where thesplendour of Nasrid Art is displayed. Thefirst section corresponds to the Mexuar,

18 19

the place of audiences and councils, withan oratory and marvellous Golden Room.The Palace of Comares, with a spectacu-lar façade in plasterwork, surrounds thePatio de los Arrayanes, or de la Alberca,in which the Comares tower is reflected.Its interior houses the Hall of Ambas-sadors, with its marvellous and refineddecoration and its wooden cupola. Thevisit continues through the Palacio delos Leones, which was the royal family'sprivate residential area and was built byMuhammad V at the end of the 14th c. Itstands around a central patio with afountain supported by twelve lions. Thegallery is supported by stylized columnswhich communicate with the hall of theAbencerrages, that of the Kings and ofthe Dos Hermanas (two sisters). The RoyalBaths are nearby and a bit further on,

the Partal,with theL a d i e s 'Tower ands p l e n d i d

gardens andother towers (of

the Captive, of the Princesses) with pala-tial rooms. All these wonders lead up tothe Generalife, a heavenly environmentof vegetation and water on a hillside,which the princes of Granada used as anarea of retreat. The name of this palaceprobably comes from alarife, or masterarchitect. The Patio de la Acequia, in itsinterior, is exceptional; a long space inter-sected in the centre by the canalizationof the Royal Acequia (irrigation channel).The Sala Regia with its decorative plas-terwork in the northern section issplendid and from this room one ac-cedes to the Patio del Ciprésde la Sultana and the Up-per Gardens.

At the foot of the Alhambra we en-counter an animated city full of monu-ments. The course of the River Darro isan important feature and an emblematicartery from the Plaza Nueva (with theChancery and the Mudejar church of San-ta Ana) to the Paseo de los Tristes, bor-dered by the Bañuelo (the 11th c. Nogalbaths), the Plataresque Casa del Castriland a whole row of monumental edifices.The Albaicin stands opposite the Alham-bra, full of narrow little streets and bas-tion of the Moorish town. It was the focalpoint of the city in the Zirid and Nasridperiod, as is demonstarted by the numer-ous references that remain. The Cuestadel Chapiz goes up from the Darro to thecentre and worth a mention is thechurch of San Juan de los Reyes, whosetower is the minaret of a 13th c. mosqueand, at the highest point, the church andMirador of San Nicolás, with splendidviews of the Alhambra, together with the

Salvador church, built over the formermain mosque and which preserves

its 13th c. porticoed patio. Afeeling of al-Andalus pre-vails upon crossing the

The fountain in the Corral del CarbónA rise in the Albaicin

The fountain of Charles V☛

The Kadid Palace in the AlhambraThe Patio de los Leones (Court of the Lions)The cupola at the entrance to the Patio de los Leones

☛

Walks which take one along the calleReyes Católicos, the Plaza del Carmenand the Puerta Real, in the town centre,or through el Mauror, the old Judería,the Antequeruela, with its terraced'carmenes' and the popular Campo delPríncipe . Or alternatively, alongRealejo, San Matías and so many otherinteresting nooks, to end up on the Carrera del Genil and the riverbankwalkways, with the old Moorish oratory,now converted into the San Sebastiánhermitage, and the palace of AlcázarGenil, the most authentic evidence ofthe Almohad presence in Granada.On the outskirts, important buildings in-clude the Cartuja with its Sanctuary and

Sacristy, which are among the most bril-liant works of 18th c. AndalusianBaroque. Federico García Lorca's memo-ry is evoked in the Huerta de San Vi-cente, where he spent periods of respitein the house where he was born atFuente Vaqueros. An ascent of the SierraNevada seems obligatory: A steep climbwhich takes one up the highest moun-tains in the Peninsula to the peaks ofMulhacén, at 3,482 m., and Veleta.Named Solair, or Snowy Mountain, in thetimes of al-Andalus, it has been declareda National Park, because of its vigorousAlpine nature and it has the mostsoutherly ski station in Europe, equippedwith very modern installations.

21

Plaza Larga and the Arco de las Pesas,the gate of the Cuesta Alhacaba and es-pecially the Monaita Gate. Another ofthe important buildings in this quarter isthe Santa Isabel la Real convent, whichadjoins the Dar al-Horra palace, the“Casa de la Reina”, where Boabdil's, thelast king of Granada, mother lived. By go-ing along the streets called CaldereríaNueva and Vieja, one descends to thestreet called Elvira, where a gate con-nected the Albaicin with the medina(market).Important buildings constructed afterthe Christian conquest proliferatearound the Elvira Gate and the Campodel Triunfo, such as the Hospital Real

and the San Jerónimo monastery, bothof which are Renaissance, or the BaroqueHospital de San Juan de Dios.The Gran Vía de Colón marks the mod-ern axis of what was the medina andthe city in the Middle Ages, situatedround the Great Mosque, which wouldbe replaced by the Christian cathedral.Construction began in 1523 along Gothiclines. Its plans were modified by Diegode Siloé, who created a magnificentClassic construction, which was finishedit the 17th c., to include a sensationalistBaroque façade designed by AlonsoCano. The Royal Chapel stands along-side and was built by Enrique Egas be-tween 1505 and 1521 and came to serveas the Mausoleum ofthe Catholic Mon-archs. It houses arich collection ofworks of art.The Madraza ,created by Yusuf Ias a centre ofstudies, is to befound very nearbyand also the Al-caicería , the old Nasrid market for luxury goods, together with the Zacatínand the Corral del Carbón, being exam-ples of the corn exchanges and mer-chants' inns, dating from the first halfof 14th century. There are still a multi-tude of places to visit, to end up fallingin love with this incomparable city.

20

The AlcaiceríaA convent in the Albaicin

Granada with the Sierra in the background☛

The CathedralInterior of the Casa MoriscaA detail of the Capilla Real

☛

Prod

uced

by

LaM

etro

.fox

/ Equ

ipo 2

8